Heat
by KatieCullenSwan
Summary: Alice Cullen can’t let her family be ripped apart again. So she takes Bella’s mortality into her own hands. Based somewhere between New Moon and Eclipse.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own twilight.**

**Summary: Alice Cullen can't let her family be ripped apart again. So she takes Bella's mortality into her own hands. Based somewhere between New Moon and Eclipse.**

**Bella POV**

"Edward, it's fine. It's just Charlie, he doesn't understand." I said, trying to keep my composure and keep my voice level. I laced my fingers through Edward's.

Charlie had just found it very necessary to voice his opinions on our relationship.

"Jacob called." Charlie had said when me and Edward had walked through the door that night. He kept his gaze level with the glaring TV screen, not bothering to even glance at us. My hand was wrapped in Edward's. I felt him tense up the tiniest bit, apparently at whatever Charlie was thinking.

"_Okay." I said nonchalantly, heading to the kitchen with Edward trailing behind me. There was a pause. "Make sure you call him back. Soon." Charlie called. I sighed. "I will, Ch—dad."_

"He sounded upset. You should think about how you treat him." Charlie persisted. I avoided Edward's gaze, opening the fridge to take out an apple.

_Another pause._

"_Bella, can you come here for a second?" Charlie said loudly. I frowned, dejectedly dropping Edward's cool hand. I looked to Edward for help. He shrugged, not meeting my eyes. _

_I listlessly walked over to the living room, where Charlie was sitting watching the game. "Yeah?" He looked up from the TV. "I think you should give Jacob a chance. He's so good for you." _

_I furrowed my brow. "I'm fine with Edward, dad."_

"Jacob was always there for you. He…" He jerked his head towards the kitchen and trailed off. "I know what I'm doing." I hissed, not wanting to prolong this conversation.

_The corners of Charlie's mouth turned down. He opened his mouth to say something, and then didn't. "Be careful. Think of what I said." He finally said, turning back to the game._

And now Edward and I were sitting on my front steps. He was visibly tense, and perfectly still. "Edward." I said again.

He turned his gorgeous topaz eyes to me, and I was silent for a moment. His eyes studied me.

"About what Charlie said…" I started. "It's nothing." He said quietly in his musical tone. I tried to think of something to say, but couldn't.

We both fell silent.

Edward POV

I tried to stay calm, but Charlie's voice kept running through my head. I'd already known Charlie's views on our relationship, but he'd never voiced them to my Bella like this before.

I could feel Bella's intense gaze on me, but I avoided her eyes. I couldn't think straight right now, certainly not rationally.

"I'll see you later." I murmured, carefully getting up and kissing Bella on her forehead. Her gaze grew anxious, and she got up also. "Tonight?" She said, her eyes searching my face.

"Tonight." I promised, turning to my car that was in her driveway. I got in and began driving back to my house. I was left to my thoughts.

Of course, I _wasn't _the best option for Bella. Definitely not the safest. A million guys could be different. Mike. Even Jacob Black. But Bella was determined that _I _was the one for her, for whatever reason. I obviously couldn't leave. It hadn't worked before, and certainly wouldn't this time.

But by staying with her, I was endangering her life. Every second. And I knew soon she would bring the subject of her…staying human…up again. I couldn't turn her. I'd never be able to.

I wasn't sure what to do at all. When I arrived home, the house seemed quieter then usual.

I was still lost in my thoughts when I walked in, glancing around. I knew someone was here, because I could smell them. Alice, I could tell now.

She came bounding down the stairs.

Alice POV

Everyone was gone hunting. I'd finished quickly and was now full. I was so bored. I was home, and Edward was of course over at Bella's. I was flipping absentmindedly through a magazine when I had a vision.

Bella was standing out on her front lawn, her face unexpressionless. Edward was getting quickly into his car, then driving away, his face a mask of need and want. Then he was gone. Bella didn't move, her face flashing through many emotions- confusion, desperation, anger—and settling on _loss._

I jumped up from my bed, panicking. Edward would never do anything—would he? No, no, he wouldn't. Not twice. Then what had I just seen?

Faintly, I heard a car pull in, and then the front door open. I ran down the stairs, appearing in front of Edward in seconds.

"Edward! I just saw—what did you--?" I couldn't think of the words to say. Edward looked at me uncertainly. I paused, searching his expression.

"You'd never leave Bella again, would you?" I said finally. I watched his expression falter.

"No. I wouldn't." He said. He sounded certain.

"You thought of it though—you considered it. If even for a minute." I said, trying to figure out what had happened.

He didn't say anything.

"Edward." I said. I wasn't sure if I believe him. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. I didn't know what had happened, and it was driving me crazy.

"Nothing happened, Alice. It was nothing. You don't have to worry." He said dully.

I didn't believe him.

"Just—" I paused. "You know now what it would do to this family. What it would do to _Bella._" I was desperate. I hated to remind him of what had happened—but I had to. He could be thinking anything.

Edward inclined his head the slightest bit to me. Then he walked away.

Later that night…

I kept getting visions like the one I'd had before. And others, some where Edward talked to Charlie or where Edward proposed. But most were the same as the first—Edward leaving. He was thinking about it. Even if he didn't realize it.

When he'd left before—it had almost destroyed our family. Almost destroyed Bella, my almost sister. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't even let any one _think _of letting that happen. I'd made up my mind.

Ten minutes later, I was at Bella's. It felt weird to be climbing up through her window—Charlie and I had always gotten along pretty well and I'd never had to. But this—this was different. Very different.

I'd called Charlie, pretending to be someone else. He was away fishing. He would be gone for a while—exactly what I'd needed.

I saw Bella turn around quickly when I entered through the window—her eyes lit up. And then she looked slightly confused. "Alice?"

**Bella POV**

"Alice?" I said, confused. I'd been expecting Edward, although usually he didn't come until later.

"Bella." Alice said softly, her expression unreadable. "You know your like a sister to me, right?"

I didn't know what to say. "Alice, what are you doing here?"

"Edward doesn't know what to do, Bella. He doesn't make the best decisions. He's irrational." Alice said, her eyes liquid topaz.

She was confusing me. "Alice?" I said uncertainly. She was beginning to scare me slightly.

Alice sighed. "I'm sorry, Bella. But you _do _want to, I know. And it's the only way. I'll try to stop myself. I _will _stop myself." She said. She seemed to make a promise to herself.

I couldn't help it, it was instinct—I stepped back. "Alice, do you mean--?" But then she was next right next to me, and her lips were on my neck. She bit down.

I screamed, pain rushing through me. Time slowed, and I could feel pressure at my neck. I could feel more and more blood leaving my body, and I knew then that Alice Cullen, my best friend and sister, was drinking my blood. And I didn't know if she could stop herself.

But then she pulled away, and I could only tell the slightest bit. Usually, when I was in this much pain, my senses numbed—but this time, the pain was crystal clear and I dropped to the ground, writhing in pain.

"I'm so sorry, Bella." I heard Alice say, her voice choked slightly.

And then I was on fire.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own twilight.**

**Summary: Alice Cullen can't let her family be ripped apart again. So she takes Bella's mortality into her own hands. Based somewhere between New Moon and Eclipse.**

**Alice POV**

I staggered away from Bella—what had I just done? I couldn't believe it. Oh, crap. Edward's going to kill me! How could I do this?

I'd thought I'd been saving our family, it'd been a great idea. Except now Bella was twisting on the ground in agony—and I'd been the one to cause her this.

And the scent of her blood was growing stronger. I'd have to ignore it, though. I'd started this, it was my fault, I was going to help her through it. Or at least try to help her.

Holding my breath, I carefully lifted her off the ground onto her bed. She was writhing around, still screaming. Her eyes were closed. Crap, crap, crap.

I panicked, whipping out my cell phone and pressing 3. Carlisle answered. "Carlisle. Oh shit, I need you at Bella's house. Right away!" I didn't wait for him to answer. I'd already hung up, and was pressing 2.

"Alice?" Jasper said.

"I need you to distract Edward for a few days. Whatever you do, whatever he says, DO NOT let him come to Bella's." I said frantically.

Jaspers voice had a slightly worried tone to it now. "Alice, how many days?" He said calmly.

"Three." I whispered. He knew. I could tell.

I called Emmett and told him the same thing.

When I was hanging up the phone, Carlisle had arrived in the room next to me. "Alice." He said. I couldn't read his tone, but his eyes tightened at the sight of Bella. "What did you do?"

"I had to." I whispered. If I was human, I would have been crying. I couldn't look at Bella anymore. I shut my eyes tightly for a moment, and then turned back to Carlisle. "I'm so sorry. But we have to help her. What can we do?"

He was silent for a moment. "We can't save her now." He said quietly. "It's too late. All we can do is make her as comfortable as possible and wait. Call Charlie and get him to stay away for a few days. We shouldn't try to move her."

I did as he said. When I returned, Bella had a few more pillows and blankets piled at the foot of her bed if she ever needed them, and a glass of ice water.

Carlisle had pulled her desk chair to the side of her bed.

"What do you think Edward will do?" I said quietly. My voice sounded weary and cracked. It didn't sound like _me _at all.

"He'll be very upset, Alice. He won't understand." He paused. "I'm not sure I understand."

"He was thinking of running away again, Carlisle. Leaving. I…I couldn't let him do that. I couldn't let our family be like it was again. He thinks he's so unsafe for Bella. This…this is the only way they can be _equal._" I tried to explain as best I could. It was hard. I wasn't even quite sure exactly what I'd been thinking when I'd done it.

Carlisle nodded. He seemed to understand, at least slightly.

"Except…" I whispered. "Except, I don't know how I can ever make it up to him. I don't know if he'll ever be able to forgive me."

"He will." Carlisle seemed to know. "Eventually. Maybe even sooner then you think. But he will be angry, very angry and disappointed, so don't underestimate that. But he'll understand…eventually."

"Do you really think so?" I asked uncertainly.

"You were doing what you thought was best for our family, and for Bella. He'll understand that one day."

**Edward POV**

"I have to go see Bella." I said impatiently, getting up to leave. Jasper and Emmett had both ran up to me, demanding to play some video game in our basement.

Twenty minutes later, we were still playing. They kept saying 'one more game', which really meant fifty more games. And then fifty after that.

And they were blocking their thoughts. I was very suspicious.

It was growing later, and Bella would surely grow anxious if I were later then usual. I had to see her, and get those thoughts out my head about what Alice had 'seen'.

Those visions were eating me up inside. I hadn't even noticed I'd had those thoughts—yet it seemed that I'd seriously considered it. I shrugged off the thought, walking to the door.

Emmett and Jasper both jumped up, running in front of me. "Wait!" Emmett cried. "Just one more. Then you can go."

I sighed, sitting back down. "One more."

I made sure my character died before theirs. Then, they were caught up in the game. They didn't notice me take out my phone and press 3.

"Alice, what's going on?"

"Edward—" She started to say, her voice rougher then usual. Then I heard a scream.

**Alice POV**

I wasn't thinking at all when I answered the phone.

Carlisle and I had both been very silent, and I was very nervous and jumpy. I felt terrible, more so then I could ever explain. I couldn't even be around Jasper for a while, because I didn't want him to experience this much guilt.

My head was so full of questions that I didn't think at all when I saw Edwards name on my phones screen and flicked it open.

"Alice, what's going on?" His smooth voice sounded impatient, with a very small hint of worry.

I didn't know what to say. "Edward—"

Then Bella screamed again, louder and full of pain, and I jumped—my phone cracked in two in my hand, disconnecting the call.

"The fire!" She groaned, her voice just a groan. Even I could barely understand her with my hearing. "Put it out, please! Please! PLEASE, PUT IT OUT!"

It broke my heart to see her in so much pain.

I couldn't even imagine what it would do to Edward.

But I couldn't keep him from Bella much longer.

I _saw _it—he was coming.

**Review to see what Edward says when he finds out.^^** (:


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